A Position Change For Will Anderson Jr?!

First Round Mock NFL Draft Analyst Ken Becks sees big troubles ahead for Alabama’s Will Anderson if he is taken in the opening round as an edge rusher.

#31 Will Anderson Jr.

POSITION: Edge, but proposed position change to Inside Linebacker (ILB)
SCHOOL: Alabama
HEIGHT: 6-4
WEIGHT: 243

Evaluated Games:

Texas ’22

Tennessee ’22

LSU ’22

Strengths

After evaluating the game film on Anderson, his play on the field HIGHLY SUGGESTS a position change from EDGE/Defensive End (DE) to ILB.

The TRUTH is other than ILB where does he play?

Anderson lacks the overall size to be an effective & consistent performer coming off the edge. He lacks the explosiveness, speed and elite hand technique to be effective at his current position.

From this point forward, Anderson’s strengths and weaknesses below will project to his new position at ILB from his film as an Edge/DE.

His position change projection provides excellent size, along with many of the skills he will transfer from the defensive line, which will help elevate his game at ILB.

For example, Anderson would benefit from not needing to cover more space while primarily operating between the hashes versus the run and the pass.

Anderson’s toughness, strong lower body strength and ability to use his lower pad level to get up under much larger blockers will only enhance his playing performance at ILB.

This change additionally would give him more freedom to roam in space without immediately having to take on blockers. This would also allow for his instincts to take him to the ball.

Weaknesses

Anderson is not the most athletically gifted player on the field as some may suggest. This is a MAJOR reason for my proposed position change.

He has lapses of losing track of locating the ball on game film.

Lining up at ILB would help alleviate some of this while allowing him to sit back between the hashes and have more opportunity to observe and react from a greater distance.

He needs needs more consistent SNAP-TO-WHISTLE motor on an every-down basis.

Anderson looks lethargic too often on game film

There needs to be quicker and more intense disengagement from blockers. Too often, he is engulfed by blockers and taken out of plays due to a lack of being able to quickly shed.

Where was Anderson’s intensity of fighting through blocks on the way to the ball?

There has to be improvement in this area at ANY position he plays!

Too often after first contact on game film, he looks to redirect his feet, and gives up on his initial rush.

Another area needing cleaning up is him looking to just bull-rush opposing blockers. As an undersized pass rusher, it’s just not that effective for him. Then he switches it up and looks to shoot the gaps instead of running through blockers, which results in him taking himself out of plays.

At ILB many of the issues no longer exist.

When isolated in space outside the hashes he lacks the ideal balance, elite short-area explosion, and the quick change of direction desired when needing to redirect in pursuit of the ball. Hopefully at ILB, he will have more time to examine plays and utilize pursuit angles to alleviate this issue.

Tackling – – too often on routine tackles the ball carriers slipped away.

When coming off the edge, Anderson lacks the overall athleticism, instincts, and technique to EVER be considered elite projecting to the NFL level.

2023 NFL Draft Prospect Value

Third-Round (Mid)

Scouting Report Summary

The likelihood of an NFL team drafting and then moving Anderson to ILB is minimal. It would take a team with visionaries who believe in what they are seeing after evaluating his game film.

I am confident that a position change would prove to be the correct move for Anderson’s long term success.

Anderson’s position change and the weaknesses listed are major reasons for his plunge in draft status

Ken Becks [TheScout] has been covering & scouting NFL prospects for over 30 years! Ken has worked with the Indoor Football Scouting Bureau and he’s been mentioned in publications such as Scout.com, ABCNews.com, and TheNewsStar.com. He covers the NFL Draft for FirstRoundMock.com and he is the founder and Director of 1stDownScouting.com. Follow him @1stdown_scout on Twitter.